The Open Source Robotics Foundation (OSRF), the non-profit organization charged with supporting the development, distribution and adoption of open-source software for use in robotics research, education and product development, recently relied on SoftLayer Technologies to host the DARPA Virtual Robotics Challenge (VRC). SoftLayer, now an IBM company, provided the multi-faceted infrastructure of bare metal, cloud and high-performance GPU servers to help push the boundaries of robotics technology. OSRF was funded by DARPA to support the simulator-based event, part of the broader DARPA Robotics Challenge (DRC).

Competitors in the VRC sought to develop software to enable a simulated robot to execute tasks similar to the activities that might be required of emergency personnel in a disaster response situation. The VRC drew more than 100 teams from around the world, and SoftLayer’s uniquely customizable cloud platform allowed them to compete from remote locations. The winners of the virtual competition will move on to the next stage of the DRC, in which the software they tested during the VRC will be applied to physical robots during a live event.